I Will Be Yours
by ICanReadYouLikeABook
Summary: A forbidden kiss. A heartbreaking letter. A hidden goodbye. Toph decides to leave the gaang, and Aang doesn't take that too well. So he does something crazy- he goes after her. But nobody said it'd be easy. Taang
1. Back Then

**Title:** I Will Be Yours

**Summary:** Aang took her hand once more. And this time, she didn't stop him. Fluffy Taang goodness in all its glory!

**Setting:** Post- Suzin's Comet

**A/N:** You people who have graciously welcomed me into the Avatar fandom world-place-area-thing are absolutely amazing. All of you guys who reviewed on my other Avatar story rule! I love you guys, seriously. Enjoy!

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The fireworks were starting soon.

It had been a week since the defeat of the "Phoenix King" and now that things were finally coming back into order, there was room for celebration. No one partied like the Earth Kingdom did, so here they were- 'Team Avatar' in all their glory to attend the greatest festival of the year, thrown in their honor.

Ba Sing Se had come alive that night.

The city was ablaze (no irony intended) with excitement. Everywhere the gang turned, there was something being vended or sold to remind them of their service to the world – Katara-inspired water tribe necklaces, mass-produced boomerangs that didn't return when you threw them, Zuko's scar or Kyoshi warrior makeup available in the form of face paint, air gliders that had already injured six, and carvings of their beloved Toph in rock and exotic stones.

Even the cabbage man was out and about, selling his heads on his newly repaired cart without fear.

At midnight, the rush began to slow as people began to gather in the main square, waiting patiently in the beautifully lantern-lit area for fireworks. There was a sober, ominous feeling in the air. Couples began to join up in anticipation, families huddled together in eagerness for the show, lovers held each other while looking up at the stars, and complete strangers found themselves holding hands and bumping shoulders with complete strangers they didn't even know. But that night, it seemed okay, _right_ even.

The gang stood together in the very front, Zuko clutching Mai, Sakka holding Suki's hand, and Katara, Aang and Toph standing side by side with Aang in the middle. One by one, their faces tilted up towards the heavens, looking for the luminous bursts of hope to light up the sky. One after the other, until every person in the crowd from every nation, regardless of their differences, turned up to look at the stars.

They waited. And waited some more.

_Pop!_

A small burst to the west marked the beginning of the show. Aang couldn't help but smile at the beauty that lit up everyone's faces. He turned to Katara, watching as her eyes widened in awe at the stunning show in the sky, making them shine in wonder. It was nice to have those eyes sparking again after all that they had gone through.

Aang turned to his left to measure Toph's reaction, but to his surprise she was gone. Worry immediately settled in, and he scanned the vast crowd for his friend. By luck, he spotted her slipping through the crowd towards the cluster of holy temples to the west of the square.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Katara said ponderingly, interrupting his concerns.

He didn't fully grasp her words. All he could think about was Toph and why she would be slipping away from the wonderful display of fireworks presented partially in her honor. This captured his attention far better than Katara did, and without even a parting glance, he ambled off in search of his mentor and friend.

He found himself led to the temple of Dojh, known best for its many stories. Taking in the height of the great temple, he saw a pair of legs dangling off the far edge of the roof that was opposite of the view of the crowd. His heart skipped a beat, happy that he had found his friend. Avoiding the stairs, he air-glided to the top and landed with a soft thud next to Toph.

She looked magical under the glow of the moon, her face shining with the brilliant bursts of colors from above. Her hair was down and curled (to Katara's insistence), and instead of her rough cotton robe, she wore a silk dress that was a brilliant shade of green and gold.

He sat on the edge and turned to her. "You okay? I saw you had disappeared, and it worried me."

"You worry too much, Aang." Her voice was solemn, not the usual witty and sarcastic tone she usually spoke with. That surprised him.

"Am I not supposed to worry about my best friend?"

She half- smiled. "No. Not when your best friend is _me_."

"So I suppose I shouldn't ask why you're up here?"

Her features hardened. "You suppose right."

"I just want you to be happy tonight. This is your party after all."

They sat there in silence for a moment, listening to the dull cracks of the explosions above them.

"I don't belong here, okay?" she said quietly, slightly irritated to be sharing her personal thoughts. "This is my home, yet I feel so out of place…so lost."

"I…don't understand."

She looked away. "You shouldn't be up here. I'm sure the sugar queen is looking for you."

"And you. I'm sure she's as worried about you as I was," he corrected her impatiently.

Her eyes narrowed in anger. "No one should _ever _worry about me, do you understand that twinkle toes? No one!" she seethed.

"And why is that?" he retorted back, growing annoyed with her pessimistic tone.

She shrugged. "Let's face it. In a year or two, the gang will disband and everyone will go their separate ways. Zuko's going to have to rule his nation, and Mai will be his queen. Sokka will marry Suki and they'll go off to start their own lives. You'll marry Katara and move on. There's no more reason for me to tag along."

"Toph!" Aang cried, obviously horrified. "That's really not fair of you to decide things like that. How do you know? How can you be sure that we'll separate?"

Toph faced him, her silvery eyes looking but not quite seeing. "Aang," she said softly "what else is there to do? You don't need me, and that's okay. I accept that."

Aang took her hand in his, keeping his hold even when she flinched away. "I will _never_ leave you," he told her, his words burning with emotion.

He had to make her understand somehow. There had to be a way.

She squeezed his hand. "What if I want you to?" she said quietly.

No one spoke for a good minute.

"It doesn't matter," he said finally, after several moments of mental turmoil. "It's _my_ decision to make."

"Well then make it now," she said coldly, removing her hand from Aang's.

Aang's features formed into irritation. "Why do you think I'm going to marry _Katara_?"

"It's practically destiny, Aang. Why _wouldn't_ you?"

"You sure seem to know a lot about my destiny tonight," he told her, miffed. "Why can't you focus more on yours?"

She closed her eyes. "I can't. All I know is that I'll always be on my own."

"You'll marry someone eventually. You'll find someone who will want to spend the rest of their life with you."

"Aang," she said carefully, her voice struggling to remain calm. "No one wants to marry a _blind_ girl. I don't even know if I'm pretty."

An uncomfortable silence followed Toph's harsh remark. Aang never realized that she had even felt that way. She had always been the one who cringed good-naturedly whenever Sokka kissed Suki, or when Mai stroked Zuko's scar in affection. Never was she bitter or jealous that everyone was finding a mate to lean on. It seemed impossible that she was upset over it now because she was so strong at times.

"You're one of the most powerful benders on the planet and you're worried about guys being attracted to you? You're crazy," he nudged her with his shoulder.

She said nothing.

"And," he added, trying to make progress, "it helps that you're pretty."

She said nothing.

"Really pretty. You just have to take my word for it."

Silence.

"Toph," he said softly, taking her chin between his fingers and gently turning her face to his. "I think you're _beautiful._"

And that was all it took for Aang to realize that he meant it.

He pressed his lips to hers, gently at first, taking his time to make sure it was okay. She didn't object. In fact, she kissed him back; her eyes closed dreamily as Aang pressed his palm to her cheek, feeling her blush against his cool skin. She smelled sweet, like freshly-cut grass and fertile earth. A small noise of bliss escaped from her as he parted her lips with his tongue, a strange, new experience for the both of them.

It felt so good, so _right_. And then, she realized it was wrong.

She broke the kiss abruptly and looked away, repositioning her body to where they were shoulder-to-shoulder once more. Aang opened his eyes slowly, wondering why her perfect lips had suddenly disappeared; he noticed the sober look on her face and he instantly tensed.

"I-I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

She opened her lips to speak, but she couldn't find the words to say.

"Really, I am. I won't do it again if you want…"

She shook her head. "Aang…it's not that I didn't _enjoy_ it," she blushed, biting her lip. "It's just…wrong- for you and for Katara."

"I know you think that its destiny or something that Katara and I belong together, but you can't keep thinking that for certain," he said stubbornly.

Toph smiled. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But for now, it is what it is. And I can't change that."

"Toph-" he protested, but he was cut off by her lips.

"I'm not saying 'never'," she whispered after breaking away from his stunned face. "Only…not now. I _will_ be yours. Just, as a friend. And if you want to be more than that, then I'll be here. But you can't just give up on Katara when you two just started something good."

A moment of silence followed as he processed that information. So maybe one day something could happen. It didn't have to be; they could see what things led to in the future, and if Katara ended up not being in it, then she would be there- not forever, but long enough for him to make a decision. He understood. A part of him knew she was right, too.

"What do they look like, Aang?" she whispered, her precious face tilted up towards the heavens.

"The fireworks? Oh…" her question had caught him off guard. "They're beautiful, Toph."

She smiled, truly content for once in her life. "I bet."

Aang took her hand once more.

And this time, she didn't stop him.

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**A/N:** This has some potential for an epilogue. Hell, even a full-blown story would greatly suffice! But I'm not sure yet. Sorry if this sounds blackmail-ish, but it kinda depends on the reviews and feedback. So what do you guys think? Let me know, I want to hear from you. Thanks for reading!


	2. Letters

**A/N: **Let me take this time now to tell you guys how much I appreciate your feedback. Seriously, reading a review is one of the most satisfying things in the entire world. You don't (possibly) know how much it means to me. That's why I've decided to turn this into a story- for you. For all of you. Again, I thank you so much. Enjoy!

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_Dear Aang,_

_By the time you read this letter, I'll be gone. _

_I packed up my bags at midnight and set out on my way. Save us both the trouble and don't look for me- it keeps everything so much less complicated. I'm going to keep this as non-dramatic as possible to spare you the "heartache". Then again, you never had much heartache over me. Not to be bitter or anything, but I'm just saying…_

_I guess you deserve to know why I'm leaving. If you're truly wondering, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now. I've told you before, but I'm not sure if you remember. I told you once that there was no more of a reason to tag along, now that the war was over. Do you remember that night you said I was beautiful, Aang? Do you remember you told me about the fireworks? _

_It's been five years since that night on the rooftop, but I remember it like it was yesterday. We were young, and you were stupid. I take some of the blame- I shouldn't have let you kiss me that night. Not when you were with Katara. Over the years, I have watched (or felt) and waited for you to move on, but as we neared our seventh year together, I knew what I had to do. _

_I once told you that we could be together when you decided that you wanted more than what we had together. I was thirteen then, but I had meant it. Well, up until now. This is not a game. There is no 'catch me if you can'. I will be yours, but only as a distant friend. And this time, there is nothing more. _

_So where am I going? I know you're already wondering. But, see, if I told you then you'd come looking for me. We can't have that now, can we? I'll give you a not-so-subtle hint though, in case you need me (that's one thing that will never change; I will never abandon you in your time of dire need, because together 'Team Avatar' can change the world). I'm going back to where it started. Figured it out yet? If not, then good. Maybe destiny's trying to tell us something. _

_Please give the others my regards. Tell them I love them all, and it's nothing personal. Just help them to understand that I'm old enough to move on. The world doesn't need me anymore. But I ask you to keep this letter confidential. They wouldn't know what happened that night, five years ago. They wouldn't understand. Plus, I doubt you want Sugar Queen getting her hands on this. _

_I need to be honest and clear, Twinkle Toes. I'm not doing this to hurt you, and even if I was, I'm sure you wouldn't feel it. __Do not follow me__. If you know what's good for you, you will keep your distance for a good couple of years. And if you decide to ignore my requests anyway, I'll have to use force. In other words- I'll kick your ass. Just try me. Oh, and one last thing- _

_I love you. Never forget that. _

_Forever yours, _

_Toph_

"Aang? You alright?"

Katara's soft voice floated towards him, but he did not hear, and he did not feel. All he could think was '_Not her…_' as his bone-white knuckles grasped the letter so tightly it hurt. This wasn't fair- he had expected to be there when he woke up. She always had been- why now? It took all his strength to keep from going into Avatar state and destroying the entire Western air temple.

"Aang…what's going on?"

Katara's sweet voice was incredibly annoying at that point in time. He wanted to tune it all, tune _everything_ out, and get to the bottom of this letter. How dare she leave him? How dare she believe this hurt her more than it hurt him? Saying goodbyes were never easy for Aang, but this was just _low_.

"She's gone," he whispered, struggling to maintain control of his voice.

"Who?"

He gritted his teeth together to keep himself from yelling at her simple, naïve questions. "Toph," he told her, her name like a bitter pill on his tongue. "She's gone."

Confusion, then shock washed over Katara's face. Eager to know more, she quickly grabbed for the letter, but Aang snatched it from her reach. Hurt was clear on her face, but Aang refused to give in.

"Don't be ridiculous, Aang; give me the letter."

"No." It was simple and clear, yet strangely terrifying to the water bender. She backed off, but stood her ground.

Sokka and Suki quickly made their way over to the scene, eager to know what was going down between the two usually-peaceful lovers.

"What's going on over here? And has anyone seen Toph this morning?"

Sokka's dim and unaware question added to Aang's already-frayed nerves. He rolled up the parchment paper with Toph's goodbye and stalked off to his room.

"Toph's gone and left Aang a letter," Katara said quietly, hoping that her explanation didn't add to the tension.

Sokka and Suki's shock and curiosity couldn't be contained. The three of them followed Aang to his room in the temple and watched as he paced around, grabbing random things and throwing them in a pile on his bed. Katara shoved past them and went to Aang, trying her hand at calming him down.

"What are you doing, Aang?"

"Packing."

Her fists instantly clenched up, but she forced herself to relax them. "For _what_?"

"I'm going to go find Toph."

"What?" The three people in the room protested in unison- at this point they were all seriously debating whether Aang was sane or not.

Katara was the first to recover. "Why are you doing this, Aang? What is in that letter that has driven you to this point of _insanity_?"

Aang rooted around in his trunk and pulled out a pair of sandals before tossing them into his pile on the bed. "I have to find her, Katara. I have to make things right."

"Did she say _why_ she was leaving?" Suki pressed.

"She said…" He struggled to find the right words without ruining her request of privacy. "She said it was time for her to move on."

"And _that's_ why you're trying to leave us?"

Her voice was harsh, incredulous. Aang didn't like how stupid she made his actions sound, and he turned his attention back to his packing. Katara tried to put a hand on his shoulder as he rooted around in his trunk, but he quickly slipped out of her reach and started sifting through the random objects on the bed.

"Toph is old enough to make her decisions now. I don't like any more than you do, Aang, but maybe it really time to let her make her own. And you act like we'll never see her again!"

"You don't _understand_, Katara! This is all my fault."

She sighed and tried again. "I'm sure we're all just as involved in this as you are. And I'm sure this is nothing personal, either. There's no reason to go off to who knows where and- wait. Where exactly _is_ she going?"

"I have a hunch."

"A _hunch_?" Katara cried out in shock. "Let me get this straight- you're ambling off into spirits know where in search for one of the most devious earthbenders in the world, hoping to find her on a _hunch_?"

"If you want to dumb it down to make it sound like that, go ahead- doesn't change anything."

She nodded, pressing her lips together. "So this is it then? You're just going to leave us? Leave _me_?"

Aang stopped his frantic pacing to look at her. "I don't want to. You have to understand that. But I'm not going to let Toph leave for who knows how long based on her belief that I won't even care enough to go after her."

She shook her head and reached out her hand, as if she wanted to grab a hold of him and keep him from leaving.

"Then let me go with you. Let me _be_ there for you."

He started up his "packing" again. "I have to do this alone."

"I _need_ to be there with you!"

"But you don't!"

"I need you, Aang!"

"I need to leave before she gets too far! She only left at midnight."

"You don't even know where you're _going_, Aang," Sokka interrupted

"Yes I do. She's going back to where it started," he stressed, wishing they would understand.

"Where _what_ started?" Katara cried, throwing her hands up in the air. Tears began to gather in her eyes from the tension and frustration.

"Just let me go, Katara. I can't explain it, because you wouldn't understand."

"_DAMN_ IT, AANG!" she yelled, bringing her fist down on a mirror that was lying on the nearby dresser. It broke with a sick crack, and everyone stared.

The silence was thick with tension as Katara glared at him, her chest heaving in anger. Her fists were balled up tightly, one at her side and the other on the shattered mirror. For a moment, Aang felt the complexity of the situation. Every eye in the room was on him- staring, waiting, wondering…

Katara shook her head, her whole body going limp. "Just help me understand," she whispered and closed her eyes. "_Please_."

Another tense moment of silence followed.

"This is between me and her, Katara. You can't go with me. But she said she loves all of you," he said hastily, trying to correct his mistakes. "She said it was nothing personal. Just that it was time for her to move on."

"If she said it's nothing personal, then…why are you going after her?" Suki asked, trying to sort through all the confusion.

It was the big, golden question that everyone wanted to hear. Why was he so passionate about this? Why must he go?

"Because…" He thought carefully about his answer, hoping it was the right one.

And then he understood. And it all made since.

"Because I love her," he said slowly, his eyebrows furrowing in realization.

It was so quiet that you could hear Katara's heart break. Tears began to stream from her eyes as she processed these words.

"What kind of love, Aang?" she whispered.

"I don't know yet."

She looked away. "Will you come back from me?"

"Yes," he said, struggling to maintain calm. "I will. One day."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the dresser. This was so sudden, so unplanned…

"She told you not to follow her, didn't she," she said quietly, already knowing the answer.

Aang turned away to face the pile on the bed. "Yes."

He began to remove the unnecessary objects from his pile, working in the thick silence that hung around them like a heavy fog. Things were bad enough- there was nothing left to say that could make things better. Gathering all four corners of the blanket that lay under his small pile, he tied up the bundle. He grabbed his air glider from the side of his bed and turned to his small audience in the room.

For a long time, no one spoke.

"I'm gonna miss you, buddy," Sokka said quietly. He moved closer to the air bender and put a hand on his shoulder. "But if you don't find what you're looking for," he dropped his voice "I'm going to have to hurt you. That's the only reason she'll understand. If you don't find Toph and figure things out, she'll never forgive you."

Aang smiled and gave him an abrupt hug; Sokka returned it gladly, and Suki followed suit. Katara got up eventually. Her legs were weak, but somehow she made it to the other side of the room and joined in on the hug. They held each other for a moment, reveling in all the memories and love they had shared with one another, for this was it.

This was goodbye.

Aang grabbed his bundle and air glider and walked into the morning air, with his friends in pursuit. This was the hard part- saying goodbye. He would be taking no one with him. A giant flying bison would make Toph hide even more, and Momo was just another mouth to feed. Besides, he would be back.

Right?

Maybe.

He gave them one last look- the people who had saved his life a uncountable number of times- and disappeared into the woods.

He was on his way to the Earth Kingdom.

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A/N: Blahh, this was crap. I know this was pretty boring, but I had to get it out of the way. I had do write all the hard goodbyes and everything, or else the story would've sounded like some five-year-old wrote it and skipped right to the good parts. I'm not sure where I'm going next- I need a co-writer, even though I probably shouldn't. Do me a favor and review, yes? Your suggestions just might be my next big break.


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